An unprecedented event took place off the coast of Shetland when a killer whale collided with a yacht, marking the first recorded orca attack in British waters. The incident occurred while a 72-year-old retired Dutch physicist named Dr. Wim Rutten was sailing from Lerwick to Bergen. Engaged in mackerel fishing at the time, Dr. Rutten was taken aback when the whale repeatedly struck his boat. This occurrence follows similar reports of orca encounters with boats in Gibraltar and Portugal.
Dr. Rutten described the experience as unnerving, particularly due to the loud breathing of the orca. Concerned by the previous “Portuguese accidents,” he speculated that the whale may have been seeking playfulness, eye contact, or trying to free itself from the fishing line. Experts have posited that the orcas responsible for ramming and sinking boats off the coast of Spain may be seeking retribution for an injured matriarch.
Since 2020, there have been hundreds of orchestrated attacks on vessels by orca whales along the Iberian coast. One incident involved an orca circling a high-end yacht until it tore off the rudder, leaving the crew adrift near Gibraltar. Another account featured a pod of five whales removing both rudders from a boat, leaving Captain Iain Hamilton stranded in a harbor. These attacks seem to be linked to the suffering experienced by a leader known as White Gladis, possibly due to a collision with a boat or entanglement with a fishing line.
According to marine biologist Alfredo Lopez Fernandez, the traumatized orca initiated the physical contact with boats. Although there is no evidence of the orcas instructing their young, the behavior has spread through imitation and has become important in their lives. The attacks on small boats generally follow a pattern of the orcas approaching from the stern, disabling the boat by hitting the rudder, and then losing interest.
Researchers suggest that orcas may be teaching each other how to pursue and attack boats, leading to a string of synchronized strikes in Europe. However, this behavior does not seem to be an evolved adaptation or a desperate survival strategy. It is more likely a short-lived fad, similar to carrying dead salmon on their heads, signifying sociability rather than necessity.
The motivation and origin of these attacks remain unclear, but it is theorized that they stem from defensive behavior linked to trauma. Orcas, like humans, possess advanced learning abilities that allow them to observe and replicate the behavior of others. However, these attacks pose a risk to the critically endangered whales themselves.
In conclusion, the recent orca attacks on boats highlight a fascinating yet alarming phenomenon. Further research is needed to fully comprehend the motivations and implications of these aggressive encounters between orcas and vessels.
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